Motor-vehicle.



L. S. ROSS;

MOTOR VEHICLE. APiLIOATION FILED JULY 24, 1906.

926,290. Patented June 29, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. S. ROSS.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1906.

Patented June 29, 1909.

2 8HEETB-SHEBT 2.

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LOUIS S. ROSS, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS S. Ross, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Motor-Vehicles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like numerals on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to motor vehicles and especially to steam driven motor vehicles, and it has for its object to provide a novel way of mounting both the steam generator and the engine.

According to my invention both the engine and the steam generator are supported directly on the chassis, at the front end thereof, and in front of the dash-board, said engine and generator being inclosed in a suitable casing which is independent from the body of the vehicle.

A construction embodying my invention will first be described and then the novel features will be pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the chassis of an automobile embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the means for operating the steering gear, the throttle and the burner valve; Fig. 4; is a section on the line o::0, Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 3 y, Fig. l.

The chassis is designed generally by 3, and is herein shown as comprising the two side sills 4, which are properly connected together in any suitable way.

5 designates the steam generator and 6 the engine. These parts may be of any suitable or usual construction and form no part of my present invention, part of which relates to the manner of mounting the steam generator and engine upon the chassis and their relation to the other parts of the apparatus.

Both the steam generator and the engine are situated at the front end of the chassis and entirely in front of the dashboard which is designated by 7. This dashboard is entirely separate from the body of the automobile and is made rigid with the chassis. This dashboard, with the hood 8, constitutes the casing which incloses the steam generator and the engine. The hood 8 may be of any Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 24, 1906.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Serial No. 327,529.

suitable pattern, and is preferably made dctachable from the chassis so that by removing it the various parts of the engine and boiler are made accessible.

The body of the automobile is designated by 50 and it has a platform 500 and is shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines. it is removably sustained by the chassis in any suitable way, and is-entirely independent from the dashboard. As a result the body may be removed from the chassis, and when this is done the parts shown in full lines, Fig. 1, remain. It will be noted that the body is entirely independent and separated from the casing which incloses the motor and steam generator, and, therefore, the removing of the body does not in any way affect the operation of the automobile.

Both the steam generator and the engine are su ported on a suitable flooring 9 which is preferably of sheet metal and which extends across the chassis from one sill to the other and from the dashboard 7 forwardly a sullicient distance to support these parts. The flooring is provided with an opening beneath the steam generator 5, the diameter of said opening being slightly less than that of the steam generator. Beneath the steam generator is a burner of any suitable construction which is inclosed in a casing 10 that extends through the opening in the flooring 9 and is herein shown as occupying a position beneath said flooring.

11 designates a burner valve of any suitable construction by which the supply of gasolene or other fuel to the burner is controlled. The gasolene is contained in a tank 12 situated at the rear end of the chassis, and said tank is connected with the burner valve 11 by means of a suitable pipe 13.

The engine is herein shown as being supported on uprights or pillars 15 which are supported at their lower ends on a block 16. This block 16 is supported by the dropped portion l t of the flooring, this dropped portion extending some distance below the side sills of the chassis, as best seen in Figs. 1 and 5.

19 designates the crank shaft of the engine which is shown as ournaled in the block 10. This crank shaft has fast thereon a flywheel 52, and is connected to the driving shaft 51 by means of a universal joint The driving shaft 51 extends back to the difmy invention said pipe il leads 7 lower end through the dashboard.

shaft.- 28 has thereon at its lower end a worm that engine both being supported bv the chassis.

gear, which may be anv pipe ll, and in tie e L de .,ill;' o the i steam is tal-;en from the boi er 3 the present cn'ibodinient or to a cut-out valve or device 55-, Ll the latter is connected to a throttle valve by means of? a pine The throttle valve may h' vc any uitaelc or usual construction, anti, it arran associated NlL is presently iescribed. l ottle is a pipe 360 rh utter P3; of some suitsteering wheel, as will .m. i H

nxiendlng .[iom 11.0 which leads to a su the casing 10 and above the burner as usual, and from the superheater the steam is taken to the steam chest of the engine 6 by a suitable pipe 57.

The steering wheel is designated by 2 and it is mounted on the stem or shaft 2 which extends through a sleeve 29 projecting upwardly in an inclined direction from the dashboard 7 and which extends at its The 30 which meshes with a worm c r 31 is mounted on a crank shaft 58, rrom which extends some usual connection to the steering wheels. The shaft 28 is hollow and within said shaft extends another hollow shaft which has at its lower end bevel cent to the steering whe l 2?. l v ithin the hollow shaft 32 1s anot e1 shat l t 37 which is connected to the stem of the burner valve 11, said shaft preferably having one or more universal joints 39 therein, to permit it to operate easily. The upper end of the all; 37 extends beyond the handle 36 and is vided with a hand piece 38.

Witl this construction, it will be seen both the burner valve and the throttle valve can be readily manipulated without necessitating any change of position by the chantfeur and without removing his hands from the steering wheel. If desired, a supple mental throttle valve 40 may be employed in the pipe ll which connects the steam generator 5 with the superheater. Under ordinary conditions, however, the supplemental throttle valve 4:0 need not be used at all, as the supply of steam may be controlled through the regular throttle valve 2%.

While l have illustrated herein one emboniment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to all the details of the construc tioi i neugnates an air tank which is con- 7 'asolene tank 12 by a suitable icli is also connected to an air l o by means of a pipe, said i \Yl for he purpose of maintaining a w p re in the gasolene tank 12. designates a water tank from which a supply or water is maintained in the boiler by any usual .unp meclunism, not shown.

The dashboard '4 may have thereon suitcs 3 and to indicate the steam pressure in the boiler and also the pressure in the air tank li; and Al designate handles by which the usual valves controlling the usual air pump for r aintaining a supply of air under pressure in the air tank 4:6 and the usual water pum o: feeding wa'er to the boiler (neither oi which pumps are shown) may be operated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The combination with the chassis and body ot a motor vehicle, of a casing supported by the chassis forward of the body and a st am generator and an engine, both within said casino said steam generator and 2. In a motor vehicle, a chassis having a steam generator and an. en supnorted the chassis in front a chassis, a steam I, e supported thereby 1- end thereof, casing inclosing oth said 1' a rator and engine, the do can constituting the dash a body in ependent from the and remova l b. mounted on the motor v hide, a chassis, a casing supply of fuel to the burn y of steam to the ennine.

6. ln a motor vehicle, a chassis, comprismg two longitudinal side SlllS, a floorlng sup ported by said side sills at the front end thereof, a steam generator and an engine both supported by said flooring, and a body comprising a seat and a platform in the rear of the engine and steam generator.

7. In a motor vehicle, a chassis, comprising longitudinal side sills, a body supported by said chassis, a dashboard in front of the body independent therefrom and secured to the chassis, a sheet metal flooring in front of the dashboard supported by the side sills, and a steam generator and an engine supported by said sheet metal flooring.

8. In a motor Vehicle, a chassis, comprising longitudinal side sills, a flooring supported thereby, said flooring having an aperture and a dropped portion, a steam genera tor supported by the flooring over the aperture, a burner beneath the flooring and extending through the aperture, and a steam engine supported by the dropped portion of the floor.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS S. ROSS.

\Vitnesses MARGARET A. DUNN, ELIZABETH R. MoinusoN. 

